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What is a field sales representative and how to become one
A field sales representative works outside of an office, traveling to meet clients and customers to sell products or services. They are responsible for building relationships, identifying potential leads, making sales presentations, negotiating deals, and closing sales. Field sales representatives must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as well as a deep understanding of the products or services they are selling. They often work independently and may be required to travel extensively.
What general advice would you give to a field sales representative?
Kaustav Misra Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University
Avg. Salary $48,460
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 4%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%
Asian 5.20%
Black or African American 3.88%
Hispanic or Latino 14.50%
Unknown 3.72%
White 72.47%
Genderfemale 30.51%
male 69.49%
Age - 48American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 48Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a field sales representative?
Pros
Opportunity to work independently
Potential for high earnings through commissions
Ability to showcase and sell products in person
Flexibility in scheduling and work location
Ability to learn about various industries and products
Cons
Inconsistent income due to commission-based pay structure
Challenging to maintain relationships with clients long-term
Constantly needing to adapt to changes in market trends and products
High levels of competition within the industry
Physical demands of carrying and transporting products/materials
Field sales representative career paths
Key steps to become a field sales representative
Explore field sales representative education requirements
Start to develop specific field sales representative skills
Skills Percentages Excellent Time Management 16.52% Customer Service 7.76% PowerPoint 6.20% Medicare 6.03% Account Management 5.60% Complete relevant field sales representative training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New field sales representatives learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a field sales representative based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real field sales representative resumes.Research field sales representative duties and responsibilities
- Train and manage new DSR's.
- Lead seminars for the CPA community for CPE credits.
- Develop and manage sales in major retail accounts in the Mid-Atlantic region.
- Manage and assist a vast customer base in the market for new roofing needs after a large hail storm in Lubbock.
Prepare your field sales representative resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your field sales representative resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a field sales representative resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable field sales representative resume templates
Build a professional field sales representative resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your field sales representative resume.
Apply for field sales representative jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a field sales representative job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first field sales representative job
Are you a field sales representative?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average field sales representative salary
The average field sales representative salary in the United States is $48,460 per year or $23 per hour. Field sales representative salaries range between $26,000 and $88,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do field sales representatives rate their job?
Field sales representative reviews
Dealing with other professional engineers and managers that show higher levels of integrity when discussing requirements or a problem to solve.
The constant program delays and slow manufactures in support of opportunities that could be won with quicker responses.
Felt like I was chained to the table, changes were made on a daily basis, and work became a race against the clock for 9 hours. Managers look down at you as a number on their chart and not a human being, good workers became poor workers, great workers were barely good, and the robots working exactly as needed were the only ones lucky enough to escape the cubicle prison.
Communicating and helping my clients.
The travel was extensive. Sometimes. It took more than month to close a deaĺ.
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Updated January 8, 2025
